Tell Me Why (A One-Shot For Blueflower29)
by TearxCoveredxRosesx
Summary: Since as far back as he can remember, Naruto Uzumaki has been a prisoner. Knowing nothing beyond the four walls of his home, he has never been shown kindess, or sympathy. Can the young daughter of a Nobleman open up Narutos' heart? Will her love be enough to save his life when he needs it the most? (Rated M for violence, no sex)


**_Once a upon a time and place unknown_**  
><strong><em>Lived a boy forgot and left all alone<em>**  
><strong><em>No one knew what he could do or of this fairytale<em>**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Probably since before the day I was born<strong>_  
><em><strong>Call it fate but I was drowned with scorn<strong>_

My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I am ten years old, and ever since I can remember this prison cell has been my home.

I had another home once, in the world outside this place. At least that's what I've been told. All I can remember are the same four stone walls I've gazed upon my entire life. Nothing changes here, no one talks to me much. I prefer it when they don't talk, the guards scare me.

_**No one tried to be on my side so I'd turn the other**_** cheek****  
><strong>

I get fed three times a day if I'm lucky. The person who guards me is a horrid man whose name I do not know. He glares at me with cold eyes and calls me words too cruel to repeat. There are others too, I don't understand why they're so angry at me. What have I done? Sometimes I ask, but it only makes them angrier.

**_**I can't help my feeling sad  
><strong>__**Though I guess it ain't too bad**_**

I only get one visitor. An older lady with pink hair, pale skin and harsh blue eyes. She's the wife of a nobleman in town. I've heard people talking about her before. She is my tutor, we meet three times a week. I can tell she doesn't like me, she gives me the same looks as the guards. I've learned to speak only when spoken too, as she's very strict.

_**Calling from the setting sun**_  
><em><strong>Took my hand and flew away<br>**_  
>There was another thing about my cell, it had a window. The window was barred of course. They were old, metal and rusty. Sometimes it rained, other times it snowed. I didn't like snow, it was too cold. I couldn't stand the winter wind that blew with it into my cell, but it did no good to complain.<p>

_**Tell me why Tell me why**_  
><em><strong>No one ever tells me why<strong>_

My tutor is here again, I remembered her name. Mrs. Suzuki Haruno. She's teaching me more reading today. I don't understand why they make me do school work. Why bother wasting time on someone you never let outside? Why am I in here? Why can't I leave?

Why are they doing this to me?

_**Why they hate me and despise me when I haven't done a thing**_

Mrs. Haruno glares at me from across my cell, like I'm a wild animal. I think she sees me like that, a beast.

''Naruto'' she sighed, shoving the book we'd been reading up against my face. How was I supposed to read it like this?  
>''I've told you a hundred, no a <em>thousand<em> times what this word is. How can you be so stupid?'' Her sharp tone bothered me more than her words. I was trying, wasn't that enough?

''Sorry..'' I mumbled, embarrassed.

''Sorry, w_hat_?''

Another weird thing she was strict about, I didn't argue. ''Sorry,_ ma'am''_

**_In the rain all I feel is this never ending chill_**

''That's better'' Mrs. Haruno scoffed, dropping the book into my hands.

''Now, again. Get it right this time would you?''

I could hear the guards laughing from outside the cell. I'd never felt so ashamed in my life. My cheeks burned, and I nodded without looking up at her face. I just wanted this to be over.

**Can I die? Can I die?**  
><strong>I'm just waiting 'til I die<strong>

They had me skip dinner tonight. The cruel man said it was punishment for embarrassing Mrs. Haruno today. Of course I knew better than to talk back. I didn't want to have to skip breakfast tomorrow too. I couldn't help but wonder why I was here, and what the future held. Would they let me go? Would they kill me?

And if they were going to kill me, would they do it now if I begged?

**_Never dreamed a single dream so kind in my entire_ life**

The seasons were changing again. The nights became colder, much to my displeasure. I believe Mrs. Haruno called it Autumn. I wasn't fond of Autumn. It was much to cold and wet for my tastes. I wished I could see outside my cell window. I wianted I could see the world, just once.

**_No one knew, even cared for this fleeting fairy tale  
><em>****_Then it slipped into seething sun and soon it sailed_ away**

The lessons were hard. Mrs. Haruno keeps telling me that's to be expected when ''teaching an idiot''. I was making progress however, I could read simple things. The guards believed I must have gone mute, it had been months since they heard me speak. I just learned it was pointless to use my voice.

No one listened to me anyway

_**All this time it bore right down to the core**_  
><em><strong>All the pain had torn and left me<strong>_** sore**

Mrs. Haruno has a daughter. I had never seen or heard of her before. Her hair was pink like her mothers, but her skin was much paler, her eyes green. She was beautiful.

The beautiful girl had come with her father, that was how I saw her for the first time. She stopped in front of my cell, looking confused. She'd whispered a question to her father while pointing at me. It made my heart flutter, but I wasn't sure why. Her father threw me a scornful look before snapping his reply. But the beautiful girls' concerned gaze never left my face.

**_Right behind you had all this time been watching from my_**_** side**_

''Hello''

I didn't recognize this voice, confusion swept over me, and a bit of hope. This voice didn't sound hateful or angry, I had never heard such a kind tone directed towards me before. And as I looked up, my hope confirmed. It was the beautiful girl.

She pressed her face between the bars of my cell, smiling at me. ''I'm Sakura Haruno, you're my mothers student here, right?''

Sakura. Cherry Blossom.

It suited her.

I nodded once, revelling in the sound of her voice.

She gave me a small nod in response, her eyes swimming with questions. I was sure she wondered why I didn't speak. Or maybe her mother had already told her.

_**Cannot look or hear or speak to me**_  
><em><strong>But you did "Your name, will you tell me it<strong>_** please?"**

''..May I sit?'' Sakura gestured to the bench a few feet across from my cell. It surprised me, being asked permission for anything. I was so shocked by it I almost didn't nod in reply. But I did, and she gave me another small smile as she sat, thanking me. We sat in silence, her not sure what to say, me avoiding saying anything.

''What's your name?''

I just stared at her, but she seemed to get the hint. Sighing softly she pouted a bit, but didn't push me. I was thankful for that. I couldn't help but feel Sakura Haruno was going to become someone I would see often.

And I was right.

_**I can't give and I wish I did**_  
><em><strong>But I just don't have the<strong>_** tongue**

Every day for the next six years, Sakura came by my cell. She would talk about family, school, friends. She even told me all about the outside world, and even better.. all about _her_.

I had still never told her my name. But over the years as my writing skills improved, I asked her many things. I even answered some in return. Though since nothing changed for me it was much less often. Her favorite color was purple, she loved to play piano, and when she grew up she wanted to be a music teacher. The most important thing I had learned was Sakura was kind, pure.

And I thanked God every day for bringing her to me.

_**Crave a home I've never had**_  
><em><strong>Though I guess it ain't too<strong>_** bad**

''Good morning''.

I smiled even before I looked up, knowing who would be there in front of me. Sakura was grinning right back. She was already sitting in her regular spot, her lunch sitting next to her. She was so busy with school, but always came by to eat her lunch with me. ''Did you miss me?''

I shrugged nonchalantly making her laugh. ''I missed you too'' she admitted with a slight blush. ''Are you hungry? I brought extra'' I looked around, hoping the guards weren't close enough to hear. Sakura knew as well as anyone not to feed prisoners. I gave her a long meaningful look, then shook my head.

''They don't feed you enough, I worry''

My resolved wavered, but only for a moment. If she got in trouble because of me.. I shook the thought off, and pointed my chin to the empty tray on the floor. This just made her frown more, probably thinking about what nasty meal they'd fed me today. I wished I could change the subject.

_**"Let's just leave and go back**_** home"**

Sakura seemed to sense my mood, or maybe my face was just easy to read. Either way she changed the subject, talking instead about her classes at school and her music lessons. I leaned against the prison bars while she spoke, content just to listen about her day, about her unfair teachers and her piles of homework. It seemed to be such a simple life, I craved it. I wanted to go to school with Sakura, to see her everyday.

I clenched my fists. I knew now it was impossible for me to have that, the monster inside me prevented it. More than that, it robbed me of any chance at a normal life. Of any future with Sakura. I looked back to her, she was eating now. She hadn't notice the change in my expression.

She looked up and blushed when she caught me staring, her eyes dropping back to her food. I blushed too, equally embarrassed. This girl had flipped my world around, and she made me enjoy my life.

Even if there was so little time left.

_**Tell me why Tell me why**_  
><em><strong>No one ever tells me<strong>_** why**

I woke in the middle of the night to a strange sound, the jingling of keys. My heart sunk, was it time already? It was still days before my seventeenth birthday. Had they decided now was better than later? I thought of Sakuras' smiling face, I didn't realize yesterday would be the last I ever saw of it.

''Are you awake..?''

The feminine voice startled me.

_**On my own never known of this light leading me home**_

Sakura? Why was she here? I crawled from my bed, squinting to see in the dark. And there she was, in the dim candle light, staring at me with frightened eyes. Her father must have told her, with it being only days away. But how much did she know?

''We have to get you out of here, now'' she whispered frantically, her hands shaking as she tried to find the right key. I reached a hand through the bars, covering both of hers with ease. She looked up at me, like she was going to cry._**  
><strong>_

_**But a trillion trillion trillion years had taught me I'm**_** alone**

''M-My father..'' Sakura swallowed, trying to hold back her tears. ''He said you're going to be killed, executed. in just a few d-days time''. I could tell by the tone of her voice, she wa pleading with me. Begging she was wrong. I reached up slowly to touch her cheek with one hand. The first contact we'd ever had, and sadly it would also be our last.

''Is it true..? Please, tell me it's not..''

I nodded solemnly.

''Then.. all of it's true then?'' Sakura placed her hand over mine, leaning her cheek into my touch. ''Inside of you.. there's really a demon..?'' She stared into my eyes, not at all afraid.

So she had been told the story, same as I had two years before.

_**"Can I try? Can I try?"**_  
><em><strong>"Never know until I try"<strong>_

When I was only an infant, a powerful demon had been sealed inside of me. By the time I was two, it had become clear I was not like other children. I was strange, dangerous they'd said.

So I was locked away, kept apart from normal people, like I was a monster myself. Maybe I was. Now some had hoped the beast could be removed, that I could be spared. But as the years wore on it became clear, there was nothing anyone could do. And time only made the seal on my body weaker, and the beast only grew stronger.

So it was decided, that if a solution could not be found by the day I turned seventeen there would be no choice. I would be killed.

Sakura stiffened suddenly, but before I could wonder what was wrong I heard it too, the guards. I wanted to scream at her to run. Even with who her father was, this wouldn't be forgiven.

_**But they'll kill you if they see you trying now to save my**_ **life**

They would have her killed for treason. My beautiful Sakura would be executed for trying to save me like this. I shot her a pleading look, pointing to the door. But she just shook her head, and jammed the key into the lock. She must have found it while she'd held my hand to her face. I realized quickly she had asked for confirmation to distract me, she'd never doubted her father's words.

She knew what I was, what was inside me.

She wanted to save me anyway.

The door unlocked, and she managed to open it quietly, grabbing hold of my hand. ''You have to come with me now, for both our sakes! We have to run''

I'm not sure what gave me the power to move after years of captivity. Perhaps it was the excercise I'd been allowed to take part in at the empty gravel prison yard since I was thirteen. Or, maybe fear for my life? A need for freedom?

But as I bolted forward, with Sakura's warm hand in mine, I knew in my heart that wasn't it. It was a fear for her, a need to run and get her somewhere safe. We needed to get far, far away from this place.

_**In the rain all we feel is this never ending**_** chill**

The Jail House doors were unlocked when we reached them, Sakuras' doing I assumed. But I stopped momentarily in shock at what I saw.

It was breath-taking.

The trees, with their leaves turning all different colors shining under the very first rays of sun peeking out on the horizon. Or the long dirt road ahead of us, the cold wet ground under my feet. I could have stared at it forever, but a tight squeeze on my hand reminded me of why I'd been running in the first place.

I looked over at Sakura, and she was smiling. ''We'll have plenty of time for sight-seeing, come on'' and this time it was her dragging me as we ran. I would enjoy these sights later, when we were safe.

_**But we'll slip into the seething sun and soon we'll sail**_** away**

For a moment I was sure we were going to get away unnoticed, I couldn't imagine the guards noticing in time to stop us. For just one moment, everything was perfect.

And then that moment ended.

_**Tell me why Tell me why**_  
><em><strong>A small voice will tell me<strong>_** why**

''THE PRISIONER HAS ESCAPED, THE PRISONER HAS ESCAPED''

My heart dropped into the pit of my stomach. I gave on look over my shoulder to see look and saw him behind me. The horrid guard was on our tails, with three others not far behind him. I tightend my grip on Sakuras hand and forced my aching feet to move me faster along the dirt path leading out of town. We had to make it.

Sakura didn't look back, possibly out of fear. I was scared myself, scared of death, scared of losing her. But most of all scared of never getting the chance to live to be free.

Nothing trumped the fear of having everything taken pulled away from me when it was finally in reach. ''Don't look back, just run!'' Sakura yelled, her voice raised, she was afraid too.

_**No it's not the voice of you or I, but**_**_ all man kind_**

I was bleeding. My feet were bruised and blistered but I forced them to move, to go one in front of the other. I could hear the shouts, the foot steps gaining on us, others seemed to be joining them. People were opening doors, watching us run through the heart of the village. Some were confused, but many afraid, probably of me.

Would Sakuras father know what she'd done? Had he joined the chase?

I didn't dare look back to find out.

_**Tell me why Tell me dear  
><strong>_  
>My lungs were burning, but I found courage as I heard the foot steps fading. It seemed we were out running our pursuers, had they stopped? given up? I could only hope. I wanted to turn my head and look at Sakura, to tell her I think we've won. We had gone past the city square, and I could see the fences that led to farm land. Maybe there we could hide, just until night fall.<p>

We were going to make it, I was sure. I could taste it.

It wasn't until I heard a new sound that I knew my hope meant nothing. A thundering blast filled the air.

It was a gun shot.

I heard a scream, felt Sakura's hand slip from my fingers, but I only had time to turn my head before I heard it.

Another blast, followed by another, and then nothing but agony.

_**There's ringing in my** **ear**_

I was perplexed when I hit the ground. I couldn't make sense of the pain, couldn't understand. We were almost there, almost free. Hadn't they stopped chasing us? I shivered, it was suddenly so cold, why was I cold? And.. wet?

Then it hit me.

I'd been shot. They had stopped because chasing us wasn't an option. They were older men, and lazy. We were young and fast. So they had stopped.. but not to let us escape.

And then I remembered I wasn't alone. Sakura.

I whined, looking all around, trying to find my angel.

When I found her, I almost wished I hadn't. She was laying only inches from me, her beautiful face twisted in the same pain I felt. She'd been shot three times at least, in the back given the pile of blood beneath her. I was horrified by the sight, I shouldn't have come with her, I shouldn't have run.

But she smiled weakly at me, reaching out and grabbing my hand. Taking a deep breath, Sakura tried to speak.

''What.. what's..'' she coughed, and I squeezed her hand. ''Your name.. what's your name..?''

My eyes pricked with tears, and using a rough scratchy voice, I finally answered. It was the least I could do, after all she'd given for me. ''Naru..to.. Naruto.. Uzumaki''

Her face lit up even through the pain, but I could see the light fading from her eyes, could hear our killers approaching. This was my last chance, my only chance. I had to tell her.

''Sakura..''

''Naruto..?''

''I.. love you..''

She stared into my eyes, the world was becoming fuzzy, the edges of her face blurring. I tried to force myself to stay, just for this last moment.

''I love you too'' She whispered to me, just in time for another shot to fire, and my whole world turned black.

_**Then we slipped into the seething sun and finally sailed away**_


End file.
